Denies allegations of rise in accidents after operating buses with temporary drivers; accuses unions of misleading people Transport Minister M.R. Vijayabhaskar on Sunday urged the transport workers to respect the Madras High Court directive and return to work.
Addressing mediapersons here, Mr. Vijayabhaskar said that a number of employees were returning to work after accepting the wage revision offered by the government. The Minister exuded confidence that bus operations would resume in the State with more employees expected to return to work. Rebutting allegations about a rise in the frequency of accidents caused by temporary drivers, Mr. Vijayabhaskar said all the drivers hired by the State transport undertakings were qualified for operating the buses. “Retired drivers and those who have experience in driving school buses have been roped in,” he said. Alleging that the unions were giving misleading information, Mr. Vijayabhaskar said, “Around 32,000 employees have benefited from the wage hike. In addition, we have increased wages by ₹900 for entry level employees,” he informed. “We will wait for the High Court directive on Monday. The government will take a decision on action against employees later on Monday,” he said. The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) has announced 2018 as "The Year of Adventure Tourism." Chennai: With over 31 lakh adventure tourists visiting the country — though a minuscule constitute to those visiting Tamil Nadu, the numbers of adventure seeking tourists, nevertheless, are on the rise.
States like TN, whose presence in the adventure tourism map of India, is rather low, are likely to find opportunities for growth when the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI) spearheads initiatives this year aiming to double the adventure travel in the country in the next two years. The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) has announced 2018 as "The Year of Adventure Tourism." As per a comprehensive market survey on adventure tourism in India, by the Ministry, the adventure tour operators in India had provided their services and conducted adventure tourism activity bookings for around 27.47 lakhs adventure tourists in 2015. The estimated number of adventure tourist visits in India is around 31 lakhs. Trekking, camping and wildlife safaris were the most practiced land based adventure activity in the north zone States of Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan while trekking and wildlife tours were the most practiced land based adventure activity in the south, west and east & north zones. A majority of domestic adventure tourists in north and east & north-east zone States spent around Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 per head per trip for adventure packages while those in south zone and west zone States spent around Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 per person per trip for adventure packages. Foreign adventure tourists spent less than US $ 4,000 per head per trip for adventure packages. Websites Internet and friends & relatives are the major source of information about adventure tourism activities and destinations, though in the north previous visit inspired the visitors to take the trip again. Trade unions resolve to rally support for transport corporation employees by staging protest demonstrations in all districts on January 8 While the Transport Minister warned the striking employees of the State transport corporations of stern action if they failed to return to work immediately, trade unions resolved to rally support to the strike by staging protest demonstrations in all districts on January 8.
As both the government and the unions are unwilling to budge from their stand, the transport strike is expected to continue on Sunday as well. Speaking to reporters at Karur, Transport Minister M.R. Vijayabhaskar claimed that more than 80% of the government buses were operated in the State on Saturday. A press release said that, on an average, 66% of the fleet of various operations was operated across the State. ‘Uncalled for’ The Minister alleged that a few workers belonging to unions affiliated to Opposition parties were creating trouble and threatening the crew members operating buses. “It was totally uncalled for and departmental action would be taken against them,” he warned. Mr. Vijayabhaskar said a new wage agreement for transport employees had been reached after 23 rounds of talks. He himself had presided over 13 rounds of talks with the representatives of various unions. However, the CITU and DMK-affiliated unions, who refused to accept the new wage agreement, were spearheading the strike. The workers had been given a wage hike that no other government had given. Moreover, the State government had allotted ₹1500 crore to settle the dues for retired transport workers, he said. After a meeting on Saturday evening, the trade unions on strike announced that they would hold protest demonstrations in all the districts. The union leaders charged that while they were negotiating for a 2.57% increase, the government discreetly tried to reach an agreement with unions supporting the ruling party. The issues had already been taken to the court and the government has not granted the sum even after contempt of court proceedings were initiated, leaders of the striking unions said in a joint statement. The courts already gave delayed verdicts and the administration failed to honour the verdict, they said, and added that the court order staying the strike had shocked the workers. They sought the personal intervention of the Chief Minister. The Collector says that acquisition of Veda Nilayam to convert it into a memorial is a government directive, and it will be followed. Despite pending cases in court against the conversion of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's residence into a memorial, the district administration is unperturbed. Speaking to TNM, Chennai Collector V Anbuselvan says that there are absolutely no legal hurdles to the acquisition of the land and that the process will be completed by April.
The Collector says that acquisition of Veda Nilayam to convert it into a memorial is a government directive and it will be followed. The government had proposed this in August 2017. However, Jayalalithaa's niece J Deepa had moved the High Court, which disposed the plea in October 2017 and directed the state government to take a decision on her representation in four months. In addition to this. Traffic Ramaswamy, a social activist has moved court seeking that public funds not be used for the acquisition. "Yes, he has filed a case asking that public funds not be used as the Chief Minister was convicted," admits the Collector. "However the High Court has not given a directive on the matter and so we will proceed with our work," he adds. The District authority explains that the due process under the Land Acquisition Act, including social impact assessment, would be carried out for Veda Nilayam. As far as the matter of legal heir is concerned, he says, "The former CM has not named any legal heir and so as far as claimants are concerned, they will be paid compensation as per the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act. But there is no stopping the process of acquisition now because it is a government decision." The land has been measured for their records but there were hurdles in the form of income tax raids, admits the Collector. Two rooms in Poes Garden were initially unmeasured because they were sealed by the Income Tax department. "But the IT department later cooperated with us and we managed to measure those rooms as well. All processes are on track." According to sources, Elangovan a resident of Ganapathy-Maniyakarampalayam has filed a petition against Kamal Hassan. Coimbatore: A supporter of rebel AIADMK leader, TTV Dhinakaran has moved a Coimbatore court against actor Kamal Hassan for his controversial remarks on the recently concluded R.K.Nagar bypolls to the State Assembly.
According to sources, Elangovan a resident of Ganapathy-Maniyakarampalayam has filed a petition against Kamal Hassan, in which he had reportedly mentioned that the actor had said in a recent interview to a Tamil magazine voters had begged from a thief to poll their valuable votes for TTV Dinakaran in the recent Assembly byelection held for R.K. Nagar constituency. He had been charged with aggravated sexual abuse and held without bail after the flight landed. Chennai: A 34-year-old man from Tamil Nadu has been arrested in the United States of America after a woman co-passenger on a flight complained of being sexually assaulted by him while asleep. Prabhu Ramamoorthy, according to his Facebook profile hails from Vellakoil in Thanjavur district and did his engineering at a private college in Chennai. He has been working in USA as a project manager with a private firm for the past two and half years.
He allegedly groped a 22-year-old woman who was seated next to him on a Spirit Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Detroit, which landed on January 3, according to the Washington Post. Prabhu’s wife was also travelling with him. He had been charged with aggravated sexual abuse and held without bail after the flight landed. According to various US media reports, the victim claimed that she woke up to find her pants and shirt unbuttoned and his hands inside her pants, while his wife was seated next to him. US media quoted federal prosecutor Amanda Jawad as saying that Prabhu was seated between his wife and the victim and continued assaulting her until she woke up and went to report the incident to flight attendants. In a written statement, Ramamoorthy claimed that he had taken a pill and fallen asleep. He rubbished the victim’s claims, saying he had learned from his wife that the woman was ‘sleeping on his knees.’ According to a report, judge Steven Whalen said, “It seems that she’s either colluding with the defendant to cover up his actions or she’s completely oblivious to what he did.” Jawad argued, “What makes this offence, particularly egregious and the defendant even more of a danger to the community is the fact that it took place on an aeroplane. He was brazen enough to do this basically in public, next to his wife where anyone could have seen him,” calling the incident a “very unusual case.” He ordered Ramamoorthy to be held pending trial following the prosecutor’s argument that Ramamoorthy was a flight risk and a potential danger to others around him. Ramamoorthy’s lawyer Richard O’Neill offered to turn in Ramamoorthy’s passport and said, “There have been no allegations from anywhere that his behaviour has ever been inappropriate prior to this incident.” Drivers and conductors of various state transport corporations are demanding wage hike among other things. Chennai: Scores of commuters were left stranded in Koyambedu bus terminal of Chennai as an indefinite strike by the transport workers' unions in Tamil Nadu continued for the third day despite the Madras High Court warning.
Taking a serious view of the strike called by certain transport unions, the Madras High Court on Friday said the workers should get back to work or "face consequences", including termination and contempt of court. "There will be an interim order restraining the transport workers, specially, the drivers and conductors, from taking recourse to strike," the court said. Hours after the Madras High Court ordered them to call of the strike, the transport corporation unions on Friday said their agitation would continue till their demands on wage revision were met by the Tamil Nadu government. The unions, including DMK-affiliated LPF and CITU, rejected the state government's ultimatum to return to work or face 'consequences', issued following the court directive. Drivers and conductors of various state transport corporations are demanding wage hike among other things. DMK working president MK Stalin on Friday, spoke to Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi Palanisamy over phone and expressed concern over the ongoing transport strike and urged the government to expedite talks with the unions. A large number of people were seen queued up waiting for the private buses at the different bus stops. The strike, following the failure of talks on wage revision and clearance of pending dues with Transport Minister MR Vijayabhaskar, was declared on Thursday. The workers of the transport department have been demanding for a pay scale revision to Rs 30,000. However, the authorities agreed to pay only Rs 24,400. The music composer added that anyone who could provide people with basic facilities – be it Rajnikanth or anybody else – was welcome. Oscar-winning music composer AR Rahman, speaking at the curtain-raiser of his grand event ‘Netru Indru Nalai’, celebrating his 25 years in the movie industry, said that Tamil Nadu needs a stronger leadership for the betterment of its people.
The musician added that there are several matters in the state that need attention – better infrastructure is required, farmers issues need to be addressed and music and arts ought to thrive. He said that anyone who can provide these facilities – be it Rajinikanth or anybody else – is welcome, provided they are strong leaders. He also opened up on working with AR Murugadoss, with whom he is teaming up for the upcoming Thalapathy 62 starring Vijay. Rahman said fans can look forward to hearing a soundtrack that is completely different from what he created for Mersal. The music director also praised Murugadoss, saying he picturised his songs very well, and that it would be a pleasure to work with him. The last time the duo teamed up was for the 2008-blockbuster Ghajini. The songs in the album are still ranked among AR Rahman’s greatest hits. The musician made his debut with Mani Ratnam’s Roja in 1992, which catapulted him to instant fame. He went on to win several awards and honours including the National Film Award for Best Music Direction, Filmfare Award for Best Music Director – Tamil, and the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Music Director. Soundtracks composed by him have been listed in TIME's "10 Best Soundtracks of All Time” in 2005. The Netru Indru Nalai concert is scheduled to take place on January 12 in Chennai. He had said earlier, “The people of Tamil Nadu are always special and performing before them in my 25th year is a privilege. I’d like to say thank you to all of them on this occasion.” Council meet expenditure, sitting fees with heavy lunch and operation costs of councillor offices is all savings, the official added. Chennai: With special officers administering local bodies in the state, no major infrastructure projects and schemes have been executed since October 2016 and the absence of council had also reduced the review meetings and expenditure of 12 corporations and 152 municipal bodies in TN, informed official sources said.
Admitting that the state and Central fund allocation to tier-II cities is just around Rs 520 crore for the fiscal 2016-17, an official explained that there is a need for mayors to represent their city with the centre so that they can bring in more funds and central schemes. Tamil Nadu's overall state financial resources are around Rs 9,755 crore and this caters 664 local bodies and this is not sufficient for a developed state like Tamil Nadu where more than 55 per cent is urbanised. However, another official who has worked with the Chennai corporation said that to make the cities clean and to develop the local bodies in rural local bodies there is no need for councillors. “There are 12,820 posts of councillors and with the state not having the elected council for the past one year the state till now would have easily saved more than Rs 50 crore. Council meet expenditure, sitting fees with heavy lunch and operation costs of councillor offices is all savings, the official added. “New flyovers, integrated drinking water projects and construction of new parks have taken a hit since 2016 and with the absence of a council, the developments and the issues related to local bodies have been suppressed by the state for the past one year”, said Thiruvika Nagar legislator Thayagam Kavi. “No new flyover has been constructed in Chennai and traffic congestion is an issue across the city. Sanitation and waste management has not improved in north Chennai. Whether it is corruption or good governance it comes out in public only when there is an elected body. The adverse issue related to administration is now brushed under carpet”, the MLA added. Authorities are in talks to bring rhinos and king cobras from other States In order to cope with the influx of visitors during Pongal, authorities at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Vandalur are planning to introduce online booking for entry tickets, as well as for facilities such as the lion safari.
In a communication, Deputy Director of AAZP Sudha Raman said, “The online services will be launched around Pongal. We have also installed Point of Sales (PoS) machines at counters.” Ms. Raman added, “We are planning to procure additional wheelchairs, which will be offered to the visitors free of cost.” To monitor the crowd, 32 CCTV cameras will soon be installed on the premises. The zoo is also planning to buy two more battery-operated vehicles, for which sanction has been accorded. The zoo already has 13 such vehicles. Authorities are also in talks with the Assam and Bihar governments to introduce rhinoceroses to the zoo. “We had a rhinoceros 14 years ago and it attracted a lot of visitors. We are looking at bringing king cobras too,” said an official. Review meeting The management recently organised a review meeting to draft plans to help people have a memorable experience at the zoo. The meeting was attended by senior officials from the Forest, Health, Transport and Electricity departments, the Fire and Rescue services, the Collectorate, Metrowater, and the police. |
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